A recent arrest of three Iranian men in London has raised alarms about Iranian intelligence operations within Britain.
Three Iranian Nationals Charged With Espionage Activities in the UK
Three Iranian Nationals Charged With Espionage Activities in the UK
The accused were allegedly involved in targeting individuals linked to dissent against Iran's government.
The Metropolitan Police have apprehended three Iranian nationals on charges of assisting Iran’s intelligence service by surveilling individuals within the UK. Mostafa Sepahvand, 39; Farhad Javadi Manesh, 44; and Shapoor Qalehali Khani Noori, 55, were presented in court on May 17, 2025, under Britain’s National Security Act for activities presumed to facilitate foreign espionage from August 14 of the previous year to February 16 of this year.
The allegations include engaging in reconnaissance operations aimed at possibly inflicting serious harm on an undisclosed individual, reflecting increasing anxiety over Iranian operatives targeting British citizens and residents. The police confirmed that the apprehended men were arrested on May 3 and stated, “The foreign state to which the charges relate is Iran.”
Reports suggest that the trio was allegedly focused on journalists associated with Iran International, a London-headquartered, independent Persian-language media outlet that has been critical of the Iranian regime. All three defendants, who currently reside in London, are believed to have unlawfully entered the UK between 2016 and 2022, with two among the many who reached Britain on small vessels crossing from France.
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper emphasized the need for the legal processes regarding the charges to proceed without bias, stating, “Nothing must be done to prejudice the outcome of those proceedings.” However, she also asserted the necessity for governmental responses to the broader implications of this case, acknowledging Iran's role in increasing state threats on UK soil.
Cooper's remarks come on the heels of a speech by Ken McCallum, director-general of MI5, who identified Iran as a significant concern for counterterrorism within the UK. He highlighted that since January 2022, British security services have been investigating 20 Iranian-backed plots deemed potentially dangerous to British lives.
